The Under-18s' last outing came a fortnight ago against Aston Villa – and goals from Donnell McNeilly and Shaun Wade saw the Blues to a morale-boosting victory following our exit from the FA Youth Cup.

It also ensured Sulaiman's side remained firmly in the mix for the Under-18 Premier League South title. West Ham currently sit three points better off at the top going into this weekend's fixtures, but the young Blues crucially have three games in hand.

And if last month's victories on the road against the Hammers and Tottenham can be added to against Palace, finishing top come the end of the season remains a genuine possibility.

Despite overcoming Palace 2-1 at Selhurst Park in the FA Youth Cup last month, Sulaiman knows his team will be in for a tough test. But he says his group is relishing the task at hand as we approach the season run-in.

'We expect a tough game,' said Sulaiman. 'We have played Crystal Palace on three occasions already this season, twice as the Under-18s and also in the Under-17s Cup.

'I expect Palace to come out all guns blazing and make it as difficult as possible for us to get into any rhythm. They will be aggressive and on the front foot. I would expect a physical game with one-on-one battles really important.

'The Youth Cup game we had there wasn't one of our best performances, but that night we could see what their [Palace] intentions were and we have that in mind going into Saturday. We know we have to be at our best but I think we can meet the demands of our game and implement our style early on.

'The boys are relishing the opportunity to win the game, and it's not solely about Palace. If you look at the league, to get that win would put us in a really strong position.

'Our ambition is to win but we don't doubt it is going to be a tough game. It's a competitive league but a really exciting challenge.'

While the Under-18s' focus is now solely on league action following our exit from the FA Youth Cup, Sulaiman and several of his players have played a role in the recent exploits of our Under-17s.

Earlier this week, a hybrid team overseen by Sulaiman and our Under-16s coaches defeated Manchester City 3-2 to reach the final of the Under-17 Premier League Cup.

Goals from Frankie Runham, Ryan McAidoo and Ollie Harrison sealed victory and has set up a final against Wolverhampton Wanderers which will be played later this season.

'The Under-17s have been an exciting team to coach,' said Sulaiman. 'We've combined and taken the game together really, which shows a real alignment throughout the club. We wanted to ensure it was easy for the boys and there weren't any mixed messages.

'That is always the challenge when one team is coming down and another playing up. But I think the result against City the other day is a testament to that.

'They've had a seamless transition. They've been able to adapt quickly and performed really well all season. Hopefully, we can now go on and do well in the final.'

Where to watch the live stream

You can watch our Under-18 Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace live on the Official Chelsea App, complete with enhanced stats and event tracking from MVX, built by Infinite Athlete. It will be available globally and priced at £1.99.